NEWS - Manufacturing

SBJ Staff Report

The Manufacturer’s Council of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Savannah Economic Development Authority, held its annual awards event on Thursday, Sept. 17, to honor top manufacturing companies and recognize some of the region’s oldest manufacturing firms.
The well-attended 8 a.m. breakfast was the first event for the Council in almost a year; however, the Chamber announced that information would be coming shortly on plans to “enhance efforts for participation and reinvigorate the Council in the fourth quarter this year.”
The Council was launched in 1995 to address the collective issues of local manufacturing companies, including safety training and emergency preparedness instruction, and to provide a forum for interaction.  The companies are working collectively on a number of environment issues currently, including the difficult dissolved oxygen program, according to Trip Tollison, Chamber chair of the Council.
Truitt Eavenson, Transmission & Distribution Area General for Savannah, of Georgia Power, whose company helped to underwrite the event, welcomed attendees  and talked about the number of area companies served by the utility.
The top “Safety Award” went to Gulfstream Aerospace. In 2008, Gulfstream’s employees worked a total of 14,2727,417 hours, earning a 0.6 OSHA Total Incident Rate.
The company also sponsors the “Gulfstream Community Involvement Award,” which this year went to two companies, INTERCAT-Savannah and Stage Front Presentation Systems.
In presenting the awards, Diana Morrison, chairman of the board of the Chamber, explained that INTERCAT, which manufactures and sells specialty additives for use in the fluid catalyst cracking process, has been a leader with the Savannah STARS program. STARS stands for Striving Towards Academic and Recreation Success, a little-league sports organization that teaches youth, ages 5 to 12, how to work together in teamwork and group activities. To date, 1,000 young people have been involved in the program, and the company has contributed more than $30,000.
And, Stage Front Presentation Systems was recognized for the number of nonprofit organizations the company has helped with their events with in-kind services for audio, video and lighting equipment.
Also a part of the breakfast were presentations on the region’s oldest manufacturers with 10-year anniversary thresholds.  They included:
• Leopold’s Ice Cream, 90 years
• NuStar Energy, 80 years
• Clarkes Block Company, 70 years
• National Gypsum of Georgia, 70 years
• Delta Metals, Inc., 50 years
• Copy Quick of Georgia, Inc., 40 years
• Spanish Moss Printing, Inc., 30 years
• Savannah Marine Services, Inc., 30 years
• Port City Industrial & Marine Supply, 30 years
• EMD Chemicals, Inc., 30 years
• Continental Field Systems, 30 years
• Bridges Wood Products, 30 years
• Savannah Soaps, 20 years
• Precision Machine of Savannah, 20 years
• Intercat-Savannah, Inc., 20 years
• Heavy Duty Savannah, 20 years
• Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc., 20 years
• Alphagraphics, 20 years
• Savannah Bee Company, 10 years
• Savannah Air Center, Inc., 10 years
• Positive Image Prosthetics and Orthotics, 10 years
• Lummus Corp., 10 years
• Interstate Tire, 10 years
Dulany Industries was the presenting sponsor for the event.
More information on the Manufacturer’s Council is available from Trip Tollison at the Chamber at 912-644-6422.

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